AI in 'Vogue' shakes the industry: visionary fashion move or a death knell for real models?

It used to be that flipping through "Vogue" or seeing a new Guess campaign meant spotting the next big supermodel, a living, breathing person with a story behind their eyes. 

But flip through the August edition of "Vogue" this year and you’ll find something unsettling: that sun-kissed blonde in the floral playsuit. She doesn’t exist. She’s not a woman with hopes, struggles or cellulite.

She’s an AI-generated image, flawless, compliant and cheap to “hire”.

At first glance, AI models might sound harmless, even innovative. But for many in fashion, mental health and body positivity circles, this trend feels like a dangerous rewind button.

After decades of fighting for diversity on runways for trans models, hijab-wearing models, or the groundbreaking plus-size representation at Savage X Fenty, we’re watching "perfect" robots replace humans.

What’s the real issue?

The August issue is causing quite a stir online and not just because Anne Hathaway is on the cover. In its famed pages was an ad featuring a model who looked like she had just come out of a fashion fever dream, and when something looks too good to be true, it most likely is.

An advertisement in the magazine by Guess featured a model generated by Seraphinne Vallora using AI, and netizen users are up in arms over what they see as an infringement on fashion’s creativity and spaces for real models.

Who is Seraphinne Vallora? The AI model stirring controversy in "Vogue" and beyondSeraphinne Vallora is an AI-generated model whose perfectly smooth skin, plump lips, and striking cheekbones have drawn huge attention on Instagram, where the account has over 220 000 followers.

But behind these viral images are real creators: Valentina Gonzalez and Andreea Petrescu. Speaking to "BuzzFeed", they explained that their AI model caught the eye of Guess cofounder Paul Marciano, who messaged them directly.

The pair described Marciano as a “trendsetter” willing to experiment, which led to Seraphinne Vallora becoming the face of a Guess ad campaign that ran in 20 storefronts across Europe and 30 magazines, including Vogue.

Importantly, Guess clarified they’re not replacing real models but using AI to supplement traditional campaigns, saving time and costs linked to travel, permits, and complex planning. AI makes it quicker to create high-quality, editorial-level images.

The real problem with this shift extends beyond who wears the clothes. It’s about who doesn’t get to work, who gets left behind, and what unrealistic “perfect” means for people who already struggle with their body image.

Stylists, photographers, make-up artists, the whole ecosystem that makes fashion, well, fashion could be pushed aside for cheap, fast, AI “creatives”.

In an interview with the BBC, Phillippa Diedrichs, a body image expert at the University of the West of England, said AI models could push "impossible ideals even further" since they are designed to be flawless.

Think of scrolling through Instagram and knowing even the "people" you compare yourself to don’t even exist.

Diedrichs puts it beautifully: this doesn’t just move the beauty standard; it “erases realness altogether. It’s a whole new layer of pressure for girls and boys who already compare themselves to heavily edited influencers.”

The AI creators behind Guess’s controversial ad argue they’re just innovating. In an interview with the BBC, co-founder Valentina Gonzalez admitted that while their AI can look “realistic”, the tech can’t yet create plus-size or more diverse bodies convincingly. And when they do try, nobody clicks “like”.

Mental health experts warn that more AI perfection could feed an already toxic cycle. The body positivity movement spent years reminding us that stretch marks, scars, and fat rolls are normal.

It taught us that beauty isn’t just skinny, white, and poreless. But how do you fight for self-love when your feed is flooded with pixel-perfect humans who literally don’t eat?

Some argue AI could free up human creatives to do more meaningful work, maybe AI handles repetitive tasks, and humans stay at the centre. Others say brands that embrace real diversity could stand out more powerfully than ever in an AI-saturated world. After all, in an age of fakes, real could become the ultimate luxury.

The human need for real

In an age obsessed with “authentic” marketing, AI-generated models feel oddly out of sync. Even younger consumers often thought to love digital everything have mixed feelings. A recent YouGov survey (2024) found that 67% of Gen Z and Millennials said they prefer real people over

For now, "Vogue" insists it was Guess’s advert, not an editorial choice. But it’s a sign of where fashion could be headed, and it raises urgent questions:

If we let algorithms shape beauty, whose faces do we leave out? And what does that do to how we see ourselves?

As the conversation continues, maybe the real lesson isn’t about stopping AI, but making sure humanity stays at the centre of beauty because perfection isn’t real, and it never was.